CNC control unit with learning ability for machining centers

Abstract

A CNC control unit 1 with learning ability solves the problem of automatic and intelligent generating of NC programs for CNC machining centers for milling, drilling and similar operations. The key module of the CNC control unit 1 is a neural network (NN) device 7, that learns to generate the NC control programs through an NN teaching module 4. Upon completion of learning process the NN device 7 can generate automatically, without any intervention of the operator, merely on the basis of the CAD 2D, 2,5D or 3D part models, taken from a conventional CAD/CAM system 29 , various new NC control programs for different parts, which have not been in the machining process before. The CNC control unit 1 with learning ability is suitable especially for machining centers intended for milling, including face milling (rough), contour milling (rough), final milling following the contour and in Z-plane, final contour 3D milling, contour final milling, milling in Z-plane, final contour milling on the equidistant, and milling of pockets; drilling, including normal drilling, deep drilling, and center drilling; and reaming, sinking and threading.

1 . A CNC control unit  1  for machining centers for milling, drilling and similar operations with learning ability and the ability of automatic intelligent generation of NC control programs  28 , comprising a neural network (NN) device  7 , a modified microcomputer  2 , a comparison unit  15 , a position measuring unit  16  and an amplifier  17 , the improvement comprising the NN device  7  that takes instructions from the NN teaching module  4 , which is not a constituent part of the CNC control unit  1  and operates independently taking as a basis for its operation the data package received from a conventional CAD&CAM system, in order to operate as intelligent programming module after the teaching process is completed and to automatically generate adequate NC control program  28  for a given part to be processed in the machining center; the said NC control program  28  being fed to the modified micro computer  2  including an internal interface  9  with its first output connected to the position memory  11  and its second output connected to the function memory  12 , which accepts also the manual input commands  6  fed through the manual input module  8  and the decoding unit  10 ; the modified microcomputer  2  further includes a function program module  14 , with its input connected to the function memory  12  and its output connected to the adaptable interface system  18 , and an interpolation program module  13  with its input connected to the position memory  11  and its output connected to the comparison unit  15  which has its other input connected to the output of the position measuring module  16 , to which the position data  22  are fed from a position meter  20 , while the output of the comparison unit  15  is connected to an amplifier  17  which feds the geometric data  24  to the step motor  19 .  
     
     
         2 . The CNC control unit  1  for machining centers defined in  claim 1 , wherein in the mode of intelligent and automated processing of a CAD part model  5  into a specific NC control program  28  the data package of the CAD part model  5  is fed to the N7N device  7 , which first identifies and classifies the individual geometric and technological features  25  of the CAD part model  5  and then builds a new CAD part model  26 , which is transmitted to the NN milling module  27 , supplying on its output the NC control program  28  for the processed part, the said NC control program  28  being fed to the internal interface  9 , which splits the data in the NC control program  28  into a position package saved in the position memory  11  and into function data saved in the function memory  12 , wherein the NC function program  14 , containing the technological data, is transmitted through adaptable interface  18  to the NC machine  3 , while the NC position program, generated in the interpolation program module  13 , is sent over the comparison unit  15  and the amplifier unit  17  to the step motors  19  of the NC machine  3  resulting in a suitable movement either of the parts support  32  or of the tools  31  in accordance with geometric data  24 , wherein the position meter  20  perceives the movement and sends a regulated size  22  into the position measuring module  16 , which transmits the data to comparison unit  15 , where the difference between the actual and the programmed position is calculated, while the geometric data are obtained from the NC control program for each part and are treated in the position regulation circle  23 .  
     
     
         3 . The CNC control unit  1  defined in  claim 1 , that can automatically generate the NC control programs by means of the instructed neural network contained in the NN module  4  using the engineering drawings  35  of parts, wherein in the learning phase the NN device  7  is connected to the teaching module  4  which takes the teaching NC programs  36  for different parts defined in engineering drawings module  35  from the conventional CAD/CAM system  29 , and wherein the decision on the success of teaching is taken in the decision module  38 , subsequent to the testing module  37 , so that in case the decision is NO, the path  39  is active and the repetition of the teaching process takes place, while on the other hand the NN device  7  has learned enough, the path  40  is active and the generated neural network is sent to the NN device  7 .  
     
     
         4 . The NN device  7  defined in claims  1 ,  2 , and  3 , wherein the said NN device  7  is realized in a microprocessor technique and contains an identification module  25  that recognizes the geometrical and technological features of different CAD part models  5 , a generating module  26  that produces new feature based CAD models of parts, an NN milling module  27 , and an automatically generated NC control program  28  for a given part.  
     
     
         5 . The CNC control unit  1  defined in  claim 1  wherein the NN milling module  27  enables intelligent, automatic generating of NC control programs that enable the following machining operations to be executed on prismatic parts: milling, including face milling (rough), contour milling (rough), final milling following the contour and in Z-plane, final contour 3D milling, contour final milling, milling in Z-plane, final contour milling on the equidistant, and milling of pockets; drilling, including normal drilling, deep drilling, and center drilling; and reaming, sinking and threading.  
     
     
         6 . The procedure of teaching in the CNC control unit  1  defined in claims  1 ,  2 ,  3  and  5 , the improvement comprising a process of generation of NC control programs in a conventional CAD/CAM system  29  based on engineering drawings of parts, the said NC control programs serving as teaching NC programs  36  in the NN module  4  that instructs the NN device  7 , wherein the decision on the success of teaching is taken in the decision module  38 , subsequent to the testing module  37 , so that in case the decision is NO, the path  39  is active and the repetition of the teaching process takes place, while in case that the NN device  7  has learned enough, the path  40  is active and the generated neural network is sent to the NN device  7